


Wedding Nerves

by ChillyHollow



Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Anxiety, F/M, Romance, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22117690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChillyHollow/pseuds/ChillyHollow
Summary: Something from an alternate universe.  This  would never happen with the Strike and Ellacott characters Robert Galbraith has written.
Relationships: Robin Ellacott/Cormoran Strike
Comments: 7
Kudos: 19





	Wedding Nerves

Robin looked out the window of the gastro pub, watching the people pass by on the sidewalk.She unconsciously twisted her engagement ring around and around her finger.It was a bit loose after the dieting she’d done to look smart for her wedding.Taking a sip of her white wine, she looked down the street again, hoping he would arrive soon.She always felt self-conscious in places like this, which catered to the upwardly mobile and style-conscious.Robin liked clothes and liked to look her best, but this "Keeping Up with The Jones" place made her uneasy.He’d considerately picked a place close to where she was working this afternoon, however, so she shouldn’t complain.She’d been following a woman whose fiancé thought she was cheating with old boyfriend.Looked like he was right, too, although she’d not been able to get any definitive photographs.The mark and her old flame had spent an hour in a dress shop where she tried on clothes which she modeled for him, then he’d paid for her purchase.Robin herself had been in the next booth, trying on several dresses, one of which she really liked and had bought for herself.It rested in a bag at her feet.

She shifted restlessly in her chair, unhappily recalling the stressful discussion she’d had this morning about wedding invitations, whether to alter the dress she’d bought to be more suitable for a summer wedding, and whether they really needed or wanted elaborate floral displays in the church.Weddings were a lot of work.She wished Matt would be willing to just go to a register’s office with her and avoid all the drama.But he wanted a big church wedding. They’d come close to rowing about it, actually.Of course, she though angrily, he didn’t have to do any of the work.She just wished it was over.Then maybe they would get along better.Matt didn’t like her job, he didn’t like her salary, he definitely didn’t like her boss.She sighed.Frankly, unless she quit the job she loved and found a corporate one with a good salary, there was always going to be a problem.It was time to admit that to herself.

Looking out the window again, she spotted her boss coming along the sidewalk at last.He was wearing old clothes as part of his surveillance disguise for today but she doubted he would feel uncomfortable in this place.He had the self-confidence to fit in anywhere regardless of his outfit.She watched him enter the pub, immediately spot where she was seated, then turn to the bar to get himself a pint.Idly she watched how other folks noticed him, the men looking uneasy and the women intrigued by the big, untidy man with the sexy smile.She caught a few envious looks from nearby women as he seated himself at her table.She was used to being the focus of envy when she was out with good-looking Matthew but this was different somehow.She couldn’t put her finger on how, though, so she contented herself with greeting Strike and asking him how his day had gone.He shrugged and asked her if she wanted a sandwich.He headed to the bar to order his burger and chips and a turkey club with bacon, mayo and avocado with a side order of chips she’d ordered on a rebellious whim.

When he returned with their orders, they traded stories and shared photos of their targets for today, pondering just what they might need to do to get the data they were seeking.Robin loved these strategy sessions with her boss.He always had ideas about or insights into the situations they were investigating.She had learned a great deal from him, but he wasn’t averse to listening to her ideas and acting on them, either.She thought they made a great team.If only Matthew….

Strike often seemed to read her mind and today was no different.“What’s up?”

She hesitated, then thought, why not?Strike was her best friend in London, probably her best friend anywhere.“I had another fight with Matthew over the wedding arrangements.He thinks bigger is better and it is getting out of hand.I wish we could just go to a registry office and get married and be done with it.”She hesitated.“I think I’m having wedding nerves, rethinking whether I want to get married at all.”

Strike neither looked scandalized or condemning—or even encouraging.He just looked interested.“How long have you and Matthew been together?”

“Since we were 16.I’ve never had another boyfriend, never slept with anyone else.I guess I’m starting to wonder what’s out there, wondering if I should commit myself to the first man who asked me to marry him.”

“What do your parents think?”Strike asked.

“They won’t understand why I am getting cold feet.Matthew is a good catch in their eyes—stable with a good job, from a local family we’ve known forever.If I do decide I don’t want to marry Matt, they will not understand, not really.They’ll support me, of course, but they’ll question my decision.” 

“I’ve never questioned your judgment,” Strike commented, “although you can be impulsive when it comes to helping the weak. I can’t see how that applies to a wedding, however.Matthew isn’t downtrodden in any way.” 

Robin laughed.“No, he’s not!” 

Strike hesitated, then asked quietly, “What do you want out of life, Robin?Matthew seems conventional to me, the sort of guy who wants to settle down and have a family, a wife who doesn’t work, two point five kids, a career with the same firm his entire life,a nice house and car, the whole nine yards.If I’m right, is that what you want out of life?”

“No, you are right about Matt.I love my job.I want to learn and be the best private detective possible.Matt doesn’t understand that sort of career commitment.He’s a strictly 9 to 5 sort of guy, no working weekends, particularly for a measly salary.” 

“Sorry,” Strike said.“I will give you a raise when we can afford it but this is never going to be an extremely well-paid job and the hours are always going to be bad.” 

“I know.”Robin replied.“I understand and I don’t care, but Matt does.It causes—well, it causes problems.” 

“Charlotte hated what I did because I was focused on the job, not her. And she hated that when she made me choose between the job and her, I picked the job.It may come to that for you, Robin.Do you want to ruin your marriage over a job?” 

“I don’t know.If I loved him enough, I would sacrifice the job for him, but I’m not sure I do.I don’t want to give up the job but that’s not the only thing.He’s pressuring me to do all sorts of things I don’t want with the wedding, where he wants us to live, my career, a lot of things.…” 

Strike sighed.“More wine?This needs more alcohol.”And he went to the bar, coming back shortly with another draft beer and a second glass of wine for her.They sipped their drinks for a while without speaking as Cormoran finished off her chips.

“Ok, how do I get out of this gracefully, Cormoran?” 

“You return the ring and move out.The sooner the better.” 

“He won’t understand.”

“All the more reason to end it.If he understood where you were coming from, even if you two didn’t agree, you could work it out somehow.Summus exumus.The extreme end,” he translated for her benefit. 

“Ok,” Robin downed her glass of wine.“You are right.I’m not excited about the wedding; I’m dreading it.That should tell me something, shouldn’t it?” 

“Maybe.Why don’t you call Ilsa and talk this over with her?She’s been through the wedding thing so she might have insights that I don’t.” 

Robin thought this was a good idea.“I’m going back to the office to write up my surveillance and make some phone calls.How about you?”

“I’ve got to head over to Soho to see Shanker.Text me if you need me, ok?And talk to Ilsa.” 

Robin headed back to the office where she worked, burying her doubts in reports, ignoring three texts and two phone calls from Matthew on her phone.She didn’t want to start another argument on wedding favors or whether his sister could be a bridesmaid.That could wait until she got home.If she was lucky she could catch Ilsa before she left for the day and meet her at the Tottenham for a quick drink and some moral support.She picked up the phone and called Ilsa’s office.“Ils?Can you meet me after work for a quick drink?I’ve got wedding nerves and Cormoran suggested I talk to you about it.”She was listening to her friend suggesting a pub near the tube station where they both changed trains when the door banged open suddenly.

Robin stood up and asked, “What are you doing here?What’s wrong?”It was Matthew, red in the face and angry.“Ils, I’ve got to go.Matthew’s here.I’ll text you later.”Before she could hang up, Matt started in on her.

“Why have you been ignoring my calls?I’ve been calling and calling.Answer me,” he bellowed.

Robin lowered her phone and her voice to the calm level she’d used on angry toddlers when she was babysitting as a teen. “You know when I’m on surveillance I can’t take calls, Matt.What is so important you had to rush over here and interrupt me when I’m working?”

“Sounds like you were making a date to meet someone at a pub.That’s not work where I come from.” 

“I’m meeting my friend Ilsa after work to talk about wedding nerves.I’m feeling quite nervous, Matt.”The penny dropped.“Are you feeling anxious about our wedding, Matt?Is that why you are constantly arguing with me about the arrangements?” 

Matt looked at the floor, avoiding her gaze.As he opened his mouth to answer, the office door banged open again.Sarah Shadlock was standing there, red-faced and panting.“Matthew Cunliffe, how dare you walk away from me!I’m pregnant and what are you going to do about it?”

Robin and Matthew gaped at her.Then Matthew, with a nervous glance at Robin, moved toward Sarah, speaking soothingly.“Sarah, you know we talked about this.How can you be certain it’s my baby?You’ve been sleeping with Tom, too, you know.” 

Robin sat down abruptly in her office chair. 

Sarah turned even redder, if possible.“Tom always uses protection and you never do. Of course it is your baby!And you are going to make this right!You were singing another tune when you were trying to get into my bed these last two years!You are going to marry me right now before everyone knows I’m pregnant.” 

Matthew shouted at her.“You slut!Sleeping with who knows who.Of course I’m not going to marry you.I’m marrying Robin.”Sarah opened her mouth to yell but Robin finally found her voice.“No, we aren’t getting married, Matthew.”She pulled off the sapphire ring from her fourth finger and handed it to a protesting Matthew. “Now both of you get out of here.This is a business office and I am expecting my boss and clients any minute.” 

Sarah grabbed Matthew’s arm and yanked him toward the door, angrily protesting that Matt was the love of her life and she only got engaged to Tom because Matt had dumped her for that stuck up cow Robin.“Slut?” she shrieked, her voice rising further.“Who was constantly after me to sleep with them?!You always told me how much better in bed I am, so why on earth are you going to marry her?Do you expect I’ll sleep with you again if you do?Or that I won’t tell everyone in Masham, including your parents, how you have treated me?I will be happy to make an appearance in your office asking for child support, too, Matthew.You are going to have to marry me fast to shut me up.I’m four months gone and I’m going to be showing soon.”

Robin’s eyebrows rose.Matthew looked panicked.He followed Sarah as she stomped down the stairs, protesting and trying to cajole her into silence.Robin’s phone beeped again.It was a call from Ilsa.“Are you all right?!!I called and called and you didn’t answer, so I texted Corm that Matthew was in the office yelling at you!”

“I’m ok, Ilsa.I just broke it off with Matthew.Long story.Can I call you later?I need to catch my breath and calm down before I call my parents and tell them the wedding’s off.Can we postpone that drink?I need to think.”Robin hung up, still stunned but feeling a weight lifting off her chest.So Matthew and Sarah had been having an affair for the last two years?Things made sense now:the constant weekend socializing with Sarah and her fiancé that Matt insisted on, the Saturday rugby matches that he was suddenly happy for her to skip, the late nights at the office that had become more frequent in the last year, Matt insisting he was working hard for a promotion.How blind she had been!Matt was exhibiting all the signs of a cheater that she as a private detective had spotted easily in other couples. Robin filled the kettle and put it on to boil.She needed a cup of tea and some quiet time just now.

The door banged open suddenly for the third time, and Robin whirled around to see a white-faced Cormoran filling the door, looking anxiously at her. “Are you all right?Ilsa texted me Matthew was here, yelling at you.”

Robin moved quickly towards him.“I’m ok.Matt just was annoyed I had not answered his phone calls and texts.He is under a lot of pressure I think.Turns out he has been having an affair with his friend Sarah and she is pregnant.I just had them both here.”Robin noticed that Strike looked as if he was in pain.“Your leg!Did you run all the way here?”She reached for him at the same time he reached for her.Suddenly they were hugging tightly, and Robin felt her eyes misting.She buried her face in Cormoran’s shoulder and held on for dear life.He had one arm around her shoulder and one around her waist, pulling her tightly against him, his nose buried in her hair.“I’m ok,” she whispered, turning her face to his."I broke my engagement and gave Matt his ring back.”

Cormoran looked at her, then they were suddenly kissing.Robin felt breathless with desire and happiness.Then she pulled away and looked at the lines of pain around his mouth.“I am fine, but you are not.Sit down, Cormoran.I have the kettle on.I’ll make us tea and you can rest that leg while I tell you about it.”She stroked his cheek with one hand, then guided him towards the leather sofa and gently pushed him away. “Sit.” 

Cormoran looked embarrassed.“Sorry, I was worried about you.” 

“I’m fine,” Robin said.I don’t think Matt is.Sarah is threatening to ruin his life if he doesn’t marry her before she starts showing.” 

“He deserves what he’s getting.Isn’t this Sarah the one who is engaged to his best friend?”Robin looked up from the tea bags she was putting in mugs.“You remembered that?”

“Course,” he answered, rubbing his knee. Robin stirred the tea bags in the water slightly, then transferred hers to Cormoran’s favorite mug to help give his tea the creosote color he preferred.She brought the mugs to the sofa and handed him his, then sat next to him. 

“I broke off our engagement.My parents are not going to be happy I’m not getting married, but….”

“You can marry me,” blurted Strike.Robin looked at him in astonishment.He was blushing and took a sip of his tea as he looked away.Robin thought of the hug, that passionate kiss, the support she always got from her business partner, and how much she enjoyed his company.

“I’m not going to marry someone I’ve never slept with,” she announced tartly.

“Ellacott, I have a bed upstairs,” was his quick answer.“We can’t get married for three weeks anyway.Well, I can probably get my father to obtain a special license from the Archbishop of Canterbury but that’ll be next week at the earliest.If we spend all weekend in bed will that satisfy you?”

Robin leaned over and took his mug, then placed it and hers on the floor.“Maybe.You can start by kissing me once I lock the door.Cormoran, I am going to need plenty of sex before I’ll agree to marry you. Wedding nerves are terrible.”

Cormoran smiled.“Hussy.”Robin sashayed to the door, flipped the lock, then leaned over the sofa arm to give Cormoran a lingering kiss.“You have no idea.”

He reached for her and pulled her into his lap.“I guess I am about to find out.” 

The door didn’t bang open again that day….

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the true stories of two women I know, both of whom were engaged to other people and feeling nervous. They both mentioned this to male friends who volunteered to step in—and the rest is history.


End file.
